Turner County herald. (Hurley, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1887-08-11
TWAS EYER THUS.
ny JAMES FRANKLIN FITS.

1 WAS EVER THUS.
ny JAMES FRANKLIN FITTs.
! The Reverend Ralph Braidwood is one
OF the few men of whom it could be truly
said that he was perfectly designed for the
vocation that he adopted. Natural taste,
the bent of his mind, the order of his abil-
lty, and the generous warmth of his soul
.nll pointed him unerringly to the path of
life in which he has walked with marked
success for almost forty years. At the
age of 6O he is much the same man that he
was at %. Years of experience in the min
istty have, of course, matured his mind
and developed his understanding; but they
have not cooled the ardor of his labors in
the high service of his Master, nor have
they chilled the steady, cheerful glow of
tho soul that is devoted to the salvation of
men. His hair is dashed with gray now,
and his form is less erect; but both face
and form are suggestive of the manly beauty
of the divinity student of 81 or %, whom
people looked at twice on the street, and
turned round to see again, often with the
remark, "What handsome young mani"
1t was at that period of his life, when
hewas finishing his theological studies, that
close application to his books somewhat
impaired his health. He was advised by
his physician to take n months vacation in
the country, leaving all books and studies
behind him. He consented-not without
reluctance. Upon this unusual change in
the current OF his student life being made,
we find hiIa established at little inn ten
miles beyond a railway This he proposed
to make his headquarters while he prose-
cnted series of pedestrian excursions
aoout the country, which should bring him
renewed health and strength.
hs to this general purpose, it is sufficient
TO say that he thoroughly accomplish it..
Glad in rough walking-suit. with soft
hat upon his shapely head, and with a
stout stick in his hand, Mr.. Braidwood
took long walks in every direction, along
highways and byways, sometimes quitting
both, and occasionally getting himself lost
In the woods. The season was the glorious
northern October; nature was holding high
carnival, the air was crisp and bracing, the
sun mild, everything exhilirating. But
for ono incident and its results, Mr.. Braid
wool would be able to look back upon this
month as time of unalloyed satisfaction.
1t was near sunset one day that he was
returning to the inn from one of those ex-
osfsions. A picturesque pile of rocks
some distance from the highway had at
tracted his attention, and upon inspecting
them, he was regaining the road by short
cut. While doing SO. he blundered upon a
very charming picture, which he paused to
contemplate.
There was deep, walled-about spring,
where the water bubbled up as clear as
crystal. girl, clad in rustic dress, with
straw hat on her head, was kneeling by
it to fill her tin pail. Her attitude was
unstudied grace. itself; but when she arose,
MIR. Braidwood was charmed 10 find her
face one of rare beauty.
She was startled at the presence Of q
stranger. He greeted her politely, and
asked fora drink. She filed the tin Dip
der thF1t lay by the stones, and handed it
TO HIN. While he was drinking she shot q
baFAful glance at him. We will take ad-
Vantage of the situation to say that her
name was Sarah Bartlett; that she was the
belle of the neighborhood, greatly sought
after by the swains, and that she looked
with no favor upon any of them. She was
past seventeen.
Mr.. Braidwood addressed few common
places to her, to which she answered little.
he offered to carry her pail. She family
objected; but he took it up and walked by
her side, talking of the beautiful landscape
and the glorious weather. In five minutes
he had almost put her at ease; had told her
who he was, and what he was doing in that
vicinity; and if he did not at that time OBJ
tain her name, it was because he did not
ask FOR it.
He bade her good-day as they approached
Abe farmhouse which she told him was
her home. An old man in his shirt sleeves,
standing by the fence, had observed their
approach and their parting, and he interro-
gated his daughter somewhat harshly:
"Sal, who was that?"
"a gentleman who asked me for drink
at the spring, and then would carry my
pail. didn't want TO let him, but he
would"
"Well, we dou't want any gentleman
around here. guess Sol Pettengills good
enough for you; he is for me. Dye
hear?n
She hurried on 10 the kitchen, and es-
capped her fathers wrath.
Mr.. Braidwood walked home refectively.
If any reader supposes that this interview
had touched any tender chords in his
breast, that reader is mistaken. The man
was no more in danger of falling in love
then than he has ever been since; he was
always one whom celibacy claims for he,
own. 1t was TO him simply an interesting
study of human nature to mark the differ
ence between this pretty girl and her sur
roundings. Indeed, how rery different she
was from the coarse clay of which the
people he had met hereabouts were COM
posed!
"Shc seems out of place here, !" lolilo-
quized Mr.. Braidwood, as he strobe along,
shifting Off The inoffensive late golden-rod
with his stick. at is as though delicate
pearl had been dropped down in stone-
quarry. What would not education and
opportunity do for that rare flower2"
He walked little farther, and then gave
utterance to the very sensible reflection:
aBut, perhaps she would be no happie,
for it."
For what followed this first interview,
Mr.. Braidwood is by no means to be held
blameless. That he was indiscreet cannot
be denied, and very thoughtess; but all
this arose outof his entire inexperience
with affairs of the heart. He sought the
company of this rustic maid because be